KOCHI: Riding on the success of the ‘Malayali’ beer, the Warsaw-based brand is expanding into the production of vodka. Come September, its new offering -- Yakshi -- will debut, joining the brands crafted by Malayali-owned companies, such as Taika, Rooster Vodka, Mandakini, and Maharani Pomelo Vodka. In another happy news for beer connoisseurs, Malayali beer will be touching down at CIAL’s Cochin Duty Free shops soon.
Speaking to TNIE about the new launch and the story behind it, the founders of the company, Hexagon Spirits International SP Zoo, Chandu Nallur and Sargheve Sukumaran, say, “Much like the story behind Malayali beer -- crafted in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war -- Yakshi too has an interesting back story. This single malt vodka was born from the residual by-products of the distillation process used in ‘Malayali Habibi’, our 0% alchohol product."
“A top industrialist told us that if we are able to make a perfect zero per cent alchohol product, he would make it available in his malls. But it has to be a perfect zero alchohol product. Nobody has made such a beer since the cost of production is very high, and it involves multiple distillation processes to ensure that every drop of alcohol is eliminated.
Now, even though we got the zero beer, we were left behind with the residual alcohol.” The founders then decided to make use of the byproduct. “As you know, we Malayalis are known problem solvers and people who never let anything go to waste. So, Yakshi was born,” they added.
But why Yakshi?, “It is a tribute to our roots. We hail from Palakkad, and we have a famous Yakshi at Malampuzha. It can be said that we have tried to exorcise the Yakshi’s spirit into the bottle. We are presently trying to come up with the right design for the bottle. It should do justice to the beauty of Yakshi,” Chandu and Sargheve said.
As for the Malayali beer, after Kochi, the duo’s next stop will be Thiruvananthapuram airport. “Bengaluru is also on our itinerary,” they added. The company is also bringing out a functional drink called Adipoli that targets those below 18.
By the end of this year, the company plans to sell Malayali beer in 26 countries. “UAE is our major consumer. Singapore, where we just launched, is also a promising market.” The company has nine production units in five countries –Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Czechoslovakia. “We expect a turnover of 3.3 million euros by the end of 2025,” said the founders.